Exploring PERMA in spectator sport: Applying positive psychology to examine the individual-level benefits of sport consumption

Jason P. Doyle, Kevin Filo, Daniel Lock, Daniel C. Funk and Heath McDonald

Sport Management Review, 2016, vol. 19, issue 5, 506-519

Abstract: Sport spectating provides numerous benefits for sport organisations and individuals. In this paper we use a positive psychology approach to examine the individual-level benefits of sport consumption in order to investigate the activation of five domains of well-being: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA). Using a two-study panel research design, we collected qualitative data from a sample of Australian Rules Football consumers. In the first study, we explored how the PERMA domains were activated during the season. Study two included a follow-up interview with eight initial respondents in the off-season. We found evidence of four PERMA domains that were activated in the sport spectator context by a variety of consumer experiences. The emergence of these domains in both studies suggests sport marketers would benefit from actions including: creating more social spaces within their stadiums, hosting regular off-season events, and creating social-media based competitions which promote fan engagement and interactions throughout the calendar year.

Keywords: Sport spectators; Positive psychology; PERMA; Fans (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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DOI: 10.1016/j.smr.2016.04.007

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